Motorized lift truck



Aug. 31, 1948. l '11.5V FUNKV 2,448,176

MOTORIZED. LIFT TRUCK Filed Aug. .7, 1942 t s sheets-sheet 1 YRUAQLNFUNH Aug. 3,1, 1948.

T. B. FUNK ,2,448,176

MOTORIZED LIFT TRUCK Filed'AugJr. 1942 s sheets-sheet 2 IMI@ Aug. v31,1948. TB. FUNK y MOTORIZED LIFT TRUCK 3 sheets-sheep;

Filed Aug.' 7, 1942 Swap.

TELMN-FUNH Y III vSu l:

Patented ug. 3l, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT v(JFFlC-E 2,448,176 MOTORIZEDLIFT TRUCK B. Funk, JacksoyMich., assigner, by mesneas'si'gnments', tolvTruck-, Man, Inc., Jack-'- son, Mich.,y a corporation' f MichiganApplication-August 7, 1942,*seria1No. 453,943

7 claims. (c1. 18o-13) present invention relates to improvements in',vehicles, having particular reference to motorized steering and'driving columns and associated structure to beused in lift trucks andother similar vehicles. e

VTob'e more fully describedl in the following paragraphs, the featuresand objects of' the presentl invention include (aithe arrangement of theriiotor, speed reducing unit and swiveled column;y b) mounting of speedreducing unit to provide forA adjustment of endless driving element; (c)control of driving belt; (d) construction and arrangement of motorizedcolumn and associat'edstructure; (e) arrangement and construction ofswiveled post and drive for ground wheel; and (f) location of steeringmechanism upon swiveled post.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention residing `in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts will become apparentfrom the detailed description and annexed claims. v In the drawingwheein'one form of the invention is illustrated, y

Fig. 1 is a sidel elevational view,

. Fig. 2 is' an end view, ,l i I 3 is a `view similar to Fig. 2 slightlyenlarged and partially shown in cross section, with the; steering columnswiveled through 180,

Fig. 4 is a, fragmentary side elevational view of the drive control, e

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View partially shown in cross rsectionof the speedreducing unit, and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle post taken on line VI-VIof Fig-n3.

Y Referring to the drawings, in Figs. 1 and 2 the features of thepresent inventionare shown illustr'ated in connection with an industriallift truck generally design-ated I 0, having a .ma-in frame l2 to whichswinging arms I4 are connected and support the lifting platform I6. Ahydraulic cylinder I8 and piston rod 2li4 are connected be-` tween theframe |-2 and platform lr6 to raise and lower the latter. The hydraulicmechanism for actu-ating the piston rodi 2l! is indicated' at '2-2having'a manual pumping'handle 24.

Spaiced wheels '25',l located 'at the forward end of the truck, aresupported in the frame i2. As

sricw, the naine i2 extends rearwardly' t p'eiaiorjpiatfofi 28.supported between the sides of the' fraire [2 forward f the' platffnn 2sis a housing Aan-- sf dass ce j stcud with its centra-1 fa-rt 3`2fconstituting a vertical bearing for the' steering and driving columngenerally designated 34.

l vAs more yclearly shown in Fig. 3, the structure 34 comprises a lower'fork portion 35 inuwhich is supported an axle 3'8 carrying thedrivefwheels 4G. Fixed to the axle 38A is'a sprocket '42 over which runsa drive chain 44 which xtends'upwardly through the opening' 46' of tliecentral post portion 48 and over the sprocket 5'0" fthe speed reducingunit 52, carried by'and movabiegwnn the steering and' driving column andstructure 43. This speed reducing unit 52 is inourite'dl on .flange 34provided at thetop of the column portion 48, as best illustrated inFigure 3. As shown in Fig. 6, the opening 4 .6 ofthe post 48 is oblongto give maximum wall thickness yet provide clearance for the chain 44.For additional strength and to provide a center for machining, an i'n-ft'gral crossbar 54 is provided at the upper end of the post 48 which isstraddled by the chain 44.

x The central portion 32 has an annular recess 56 to receive A,a ringgear 58 fixed to the post 48. This gear is driven by a worm gearSil'located upon a shaft, 62v and carrying a sprocket S4 over which Athedrive y chain 66 runs ,driven by the sprocket 68 yon the hand Wheel 1B.The steer? ing housing 'l2 is supported from the housing 32 through ahorizontal housing 'I3` in `which the shaft 62 carrying the worin 6i] issupported.

As more clearly shown in Figa, the speed reducing unit 52 has a bracket.14 to support the hinge pin 16 of the platform lupon whichl the motor`80 is supportedv for pivotal movement. In one position, the platform i8seats upon the projection '82 ofthe housing 52 as shown in dottedoutline. The power take 01T shaft 84 of lthe motor 8i) carrie'samulti-groove pulley ,86 for driving the pulley, .'88 of the speedreducing unit 5 2 through v-bieus 9'0 of weilknown gonstruction. Thewheels 4i) are driven to propel the lift truck bytightening the beltsSAG.

The mechanism for selectively driving *the wheels 4K3 comprises toggle,members 92 and94 carried upon pins 96 Iand 98, respectively. lAnadjustable rextension H10 of the member 92 is pinned at IUZ to themember 94. Referring 4to Fig. 4, the pin 96 is supported in annan'gula'rportionl |04 of the platform l8 while the Din 98 supportedl in abracket` m6 on the speed re'- ducing unit 52. The toggle defined by themembers 92 and 94 .is extended and collapsed by the manual lever 108formed integral `with the menitra,

tended position". For'y the operators convenience, a I'vei H2corresponding to the lever |08 is located upon the opposite side, beingsupported for pivotal movement on the pin I6. MovementI of the lever ||2is transferred through the bar I I4 to extend and collapse the toggle inthe manner of the lever |08.

To assure an interruption in power transmission between the pulleys 86and 88 as desired, means are provided to project the belts 98 out ofdriving relation with the grooves I I6 of' the pulley 86 at the time thebelts 9B are slackened. This is accomplished through a metal stampingIIB having a border flange |20 and a flanged opening |22 for pilotingthe same upon the hub |24. A bracket |26 attached at the upper end ofthe stamping I I8 has guiding relation with a pin |28 upon the engine 8oreceived in an elongated hole |38. With the toggle extended and thebelts 90 tightened, there will be running clearance between the belts 9Dand the flange |28. However, upon slackening the belts upon collapsingthe toggle, the belts are confined by the flange I2II` to project theloops of the belts out of the grooves H6. Except for the flange |20,upon movement of the pulleys 86 and 88 toward each other, the beltswould tend to bulge outward without entirely freeing the same from thegrooves of the upper pulley 86.

The operation of the steering and driving column for propelling thetruck over the ground is brieiiy described as follows: With the operatorupon the platform 28, the steering wheel 'Io is manipulated to swivelthe steering and driving column 34 about a vertical axis. By actuatingeither one of the levers |83 and IIZ, the operator is able toselectively connect and disconnect the motor with the ground wheels 48.For the sake of simplicity of construction no reversing mechanism isprovided in connection with the drive, with the result that the wheelslo are always rotated in the same direction. However, as should beobvious, the operator may swivel the steering and driving column 34throughout 860 which enables the driving of the truck in eitherdirection and to steer the same in all directions. As heretoforedescribed manipulation of the handles |88 `and |I2 will collapse orextend the toggles formed by the parts 92 and 94 to raise and lower theplatform 'I8 upon which the motor 8D is supported. In this manner thedrive belt I8 is tightened and slackened to selectively drive the wheels40 through the chain 44.

When it becomes necessary to tighten the chain 44 in service, this maybe conveniently done by increasing the spacing between the central part32 and the unit 52 by removing the studs |32 and inserting one or morewashers |34 as may be necessary. To adjust the drive belt ||8 inservice, a threaded eye bolt |35 is incorporated into the toggle bybeing threaded into the part 92 and looked in positions of adjustment bythe nut |38.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patentand claim is:

1. In a lift truck or the like, a motorized steerlng and driving columnand mounting structure comprising a xed frame, a full swivel framesupported in said first frame for movement about a vertical axisthroughout substantially 360l degrees, a driven wheel mounted in saidswivel frame, said swivel frame having a hollow vertical columnconcentric with said vertical axis, power means carried by the swivelframe above the vertical column, drive means for said wheel housed andextending through said column in the plane of the vertical axis, andSteering means.

carried entirely by the truck, having operating parts carried by theiixed frame and operated parts on the column and housed in said fixedframe and steering operating means presented exteriorly to said column.

2. In a lift truck or the like, a motorized steering and driving columnand mounting structure comprising a iixed frame, a full swivel framesupported in said fixed frame for movement about a vertical axisthroughout substantially 360 degrees, a, driven wheel mounted in saidswivel frame having a driving axle including a sprocket locatedsubstantially at the vertical axis of the swivel frame, a hollowvertical column concentric with said vertical axis constituted as a partof said swivel frame, speed reducing mechanism supported on said swivelframe and above said column including a driving sprocket also locatedsubstantially at the vertical axis, a driving chain running over saidsprocket and extending through and housed in said hollow column, andsteering means carried entirely by the truck having operating partscarried by the xed frame and operated parts on the column.

3. In the combination set forth in claim 2, wherein said speed reducingmechanism sin the form of a self-contained unit, and means for movingsaid mechanism with respect to said iixed frame for vertical adjustmentto tighten said drive chain upon said sprocket.

4. In a lift truck or the like, a motorized steer-r ing driving columnand mounting structure comprising a iixed frame, a full swivel framesupported in said fixed frame for movement about a vertical axisthroughout substantially 360 degrees, a propellingV and steering wheelmounted in said swivel frame, said swivel frame including a hollowvertical column concentric with said vertical axis, speed reducing meansmounted upon said swivel frame above said column, a prime moversupported upon said speed reducing mechanism, drive means including apair of sprockets and a sprocket chain disposed substantially axiallywith respect to and within said hollow vertical column, and steeringmeans carried entirely by the truck having operating parts carried bythe iixed' frame and operated parts on the column.

5. In the combination set forth in claim 4 means supporting said primemover mounted for movement relative to said speed reducing mechanism, avbelt drive extending between said prime mover .and speed reducingmechanism, and manual means for causing relative movement between saidprime mover and speed reducing mechanism for tightening and slackeningsaid belt drive.

6. In a lift truck or the like, a motorized steering and supportingcolumn and mounting structure comprising a iixed frame, a full swivelframe supported by said fixed frame for movement about a vertical axisthroughout substantially '360 degrees, driving and steering wheelssupported by said swivel frame, said swivel frame including a hollowvertical column concentric with said vertical axis, speed reducingmechanism mounted upon said swivel frame above said column, drivemechanism for said wheel extending through said column and connected tosaid speed reducing mechanism, mounting and supporting means for saidspeed reducing mechanism to adjust the same relative to said column andwheel, a prime mover supported upon said speed reducing mechanism and insubstantially vertical alignment with said column, driving means betweensaid prime mover and speed reducing mechanism, and steering meanscarried entirely by the truck having operating parts carried by the xedframe and operated parts on the column.

7. In a lift truck or the like, a motorized steering and driving columnand supporting structure comprising a xed frame, a full swivel framesupported in said fixed frame for movement about a, vertical axisthroughout substantially 360 degrees, a hollow central column concentricwith I TRUMAN B. FUNK.

REFERENCES CITED ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,282,118 Ornberg Oct. 22, 19181,346,914 Sauvage July 20, 1920 1,346,915 Sauvage July 20, 19201,428,053 Osborn Sept. 5, 19221 1,833,844 Lusse Nov. 24, 19'31 1,915,377Morse June 27, 1933 2,209,177 Stoltz July 23, 1940 2,209,356 SchreckJuly 30, 1940 2,220,361 Westphal Nov. 5, 1940 2,249,938 LeMunyon July22, 1941 2,254,592 Berkeley Sept. 2, 1941 2,299,150 Kennedy Oct. 20,1942 y2,306,042 Custer Dec. 22, 1942 2,327,583 Framhein Aug. 24, 19432,336,642 Schreck Dec. 14, 1943

